Sub Artic ((Burrrrr))

Northeast
Snow, sleet and freezing rain will assault the northeastern
U.S. tomorrow. Accumulating snow, locally heavy, will coat Pennsylvania and New
York state, then push into western New England late in the day. Snow may begin
falling in NYC late in the afternoon or early evening. Snow and sleet should
arrive in Philadelphia during the afternoon, then change to rain during the
evening. Farther south, freezing rain and sleet seem likely to threaten
northeast West Virginia, northwest Virginia and western Maryland. Rain showers
can be expected over the remainder of Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula. High
temperatures are predicted to range from the teens in northern New York and far
northern New England to the 50s in eastern Virginia.

You know it's going to be a rough week when:

1) Your car doors are stuck shut and they are unlocked.

2) 45 mph gusts nearly topple you on your walk into work.

3) You get put on the schedule to work overtime during anticipated snow
storms.

4) Your first week day drive home from work results in a 1 hour traffic delay due to a Semi-Truck fire in the middle of a 3 lane highway, blocking all
exits.

5) And your wife calls tell you, you need to stop by Wal-Mart and pick up thermometer covers to check a daughters temp because she's coming down with a
fever - only to find Wal-Mart has none in stock.

6) Car heater stops throwing heat while stuck in traffic

7) Come home to colder home, because you felt it wasn't necessary this year to spend a little time winterizing it because Summer was so nice and you were lazy. (Heat bill through the roof).

- Raising the white flag here.

Let it snow!!

This is Aya's first real bout with snow - the snow she's seen a few weeks back was just a dusting - a mere 1/2 inch or so.

This time we've received nearly 2 back-to-back storms, she came out after the first one to offer assistance in shoveling the driveway, but quickly thought better of it since it was 26F.

We did encourage her to stay just enough to be able to slide down the unplowed street by our home. She had fun briefly until the cold seeped into her bones.

She had not yet purchased gloves and boots, though we strongly suggested that she should. She stated that the other students don't wear them; typical New England teens who are used to wearing just a hooded-sweatshirt (hoodie), no gloves and just sneakers in conditions like this. But Aya who is from a very warm climate can't mimic the locals for very long.

Later that evening we went glove and boot shopping - we are waiting to see if they get put to use.

Below Freezing!

Aya had seen the snow a few weeks back which only accumulated about 1 inch, since then it’s just been odd weather (some days in the upper 50’s and sometimes rain).

This past weekend, the temperature has dipped down to 25 deg F and had some wind. Though it did not snow, it was down right bone-chilling.

Aya couldn’t believe it; she has a winter coat she purchased in September from L.L. Bean. Not sure why she removed the attached hood nor does she zip up the front all the while telling me how cold it is.

This won’t prepare her for the harsh January and February weather we get here in New England from time to time. If she’s lucky it will remain semi-mild. (Though viewing the weather reports – the mid-west had been struck with a snow storm and we are supposed to get something tonight).